The Bruce Springsteen concert, scheduled for May 29 at Old Trafford, was a massive money-spinner in a season which will test the resources of every county club in England.

Now, unless the magistrates overturn the council's decision, the gig will be cancelled, robbing Lancashire of é100,000 profit. And, because of the row over England's slice of the World Cup income, the Red Rose outfit could finish the 2003 campaign with one of their biggest losses on record. That's why club officials are putting everything into an appeal.

"We are confident that eventually we will succeed," said chief executive Jim Cumbes. "It was significant that the council's own officers and the police raised no objection."

Trafford rejected the licence application after protests from residents about behaviour at the Oasis gig last summer.

Cumbes admitted: "We accept that things went wrong, but we have learned from those mistakes and have put plans in place to ensure it wouldn't happen again."

Here is the worrying budget forecast:

World Cup organisers are holding back é2.3m of England's share from the tournament because of their refusal to play in Zimbabwe. The loss to each county could amount to é150,000.

There is no Test match at Old Trafford this summer.

Health and safety rules have forced them to replace the pavilion roof at a cost of é850,000.

The Springsteen concert is in dire jeopardy at a potential loss of é100,000.